Cog & Gear: Flashpoint

[The-Shadow-One]

Morgan checked his watch one last time before stepping forward to boarding the third coach. Breathing a soft sigh as he sat himself down. He sighed, putting on his glasses, double checking some of his documents, making sure that his magical ones were kept in their place.

[Aarah]

Roger nodded in agreement with the portly man who engaged him in conversation, however, his story was left incomplete as the late train finally arrived at the station.

He looked at his pocket watch to see what time it had eventually managed to turn up to collect its passengers. His nose sniffed in disapproval before he rose from the bench where he sat.
Tucking his folded newspaper under his arm, Roger placed his hat firmly upon his neat hair, and made his way to the first class carriages. There was no haste in his step; a gentleman never rushed for anything, in his opinion.

He glared at the conductor when the man told the stragglers to hurry up.
"Ha, that's rich! You wish for us to hurry up, when you have arrived so despicably late! Hmph, rich indeed!" He huffed, as he tapped his cane on the ground and entered the second coach.

He gave one of the seats a quick visual inspection, then hitched up his trouser legs above the knee as he descended into the chair - an act to compensate for the inevitable pulling effect that occurred to one's trousers when sitting down.
Making himself comfortable, he had a good look at the other passengers in his vicinity.

[Rook]

The Train

Those who had checked their watches or looked at the large timepiece above the station could see that it was 7:25 AM. The train had run twenty-five minutes late, a travesty in this day and age.

The train left the station with much puffing and chugging. A pillar of steam billowed through the air behind them as the train picked up speed and began to make its way across the city. Everyone with a ticket had found their seats, luckily, and the day seemed to be looking up. Well, there was a fog beginning to develop, but that was normal in Kimmit. As the train began to pass from Whitevale to the industrial center of Kimmit, the Steel District, the building began to grow larger and taller. Black smoke joined the white trail of train and formed a smoky cloud in the air.

It was as they passed this section of the city, three loud bumps were heard upon the roof of the train. A fourth bump, significantly louder than the others, followed soon after. The train's passengers glanced around curiously, shooting inquiring glances at their fellow passengers. The more perceptive passengers were able to hear smaller taps which faded away rhythmically.

The other passengers soon dismissed this brief occurrence and returned to their conversations or staring out the window at the familiar scenery. The way was open for Cornelia and Alistair, who had found seats in the front row of the third coach, to make their move, whatever it should be.

Roger

Roger had been allowed into the second coach by virtue of his ticket. He was accompanied by the portly gentleman who had spoken with him earlier. Said gentleman seemed intent on pursuing the conversation.

"As I was saying, my man, a close business associate of mine warned me off employing those Burkensians. He runs a very profitable steel mill, you know, and thought he'd get off cheap by hiring some northerners. The imbeciles could hardly tell a gear from a piston! One of these men gets his hand stuck in the machinery and leaves work for the hospital. He comes back three weeks later; three weeks, can you imagine? Three weeks later, and you know what he asks for? His pay for the past month, with none deducted!"

[Unionhack]

The Train

Alistair stood up from his seat and headed onwards to the first-class cabin, donning his Orpheus mask before entering. He trusted for Cornelia to follow.

[Baloth-Kul]

Bristling with confidence, Miss Cogburn followed suit. She made a point of tapping her cane sword on the floor as she walked past those in the second coach. Seeing a portly, no doubt self-described 'gentleman', she made a point of adding an even more obnoxious tap as she passed him by.

[Aarah]

The train journey got off to an uneventful start, but was soon interrupted by some strange sounds that seemed to emanate from the train's roof.
Roger looked about, perplexed by the odd noises, and was rather startled by the volume of the forth bang. He then heard tapping noises that eventually faded away.
"How terribly disconcerting. I hope this train isn't faulty!" He muttered to himself.

As he pondered, his attention was drawn away from his thoughts, and back to the portly man from the station.
Roger shook his head incredulously at the man's story.
"Unbelievable. The cheek of some people. If they haven't done the work, then they shouldn't get the pay! It's hardly a difficult concept. Or perhaps it is for those Burkensians!" He said with an amused sneer.

Another tapping noise, this time from the carriage's interior, reached his ears and he turned to see who was making the annoying sound. The sight of a scruffy looking man wearing a mask alarmed him. Good gracious. A masked man? Worried about possible foul play, Roger quickly, but hopefully discreetly, removed his coin purse from his coat pocket and attempted to push it down the front of his trousers.
Looking back towards the man in the mask, he clocked a woman - a woman whom, quite frankly, concerned him more than the unkempt man.
He'd spotted her plague doctor's attire, which made Roger recoil in disgust. With a swift movement, his hand reached into his pocket to retrieve his handkerchief, which was immediately held over his nose and mouth. He watched the pair with a keen eye, hoping they wouldn't come anywhere near him.

[Dirty Spaceman]

Strange, Holman thought upon hearing the sounds reverberating along the roof of the train. He got out his pencil and made a note of it in his book.

-Passing into Stl Dist.
-4 bumps on top of train, 4th the loudest.
-Fllwd by quieter tapping noises.

To him, any question to which he wondered about the answer was a mystery, and every mystery was worth investigating. He resolved to ask the first railway employee he saw about the noises, and additionally, because he hadn't had a chance to do so while boarding, why the train had been late in the first place. He began to pay attention to the passers-by, looking for an attendant or someone else to ask. (He noticed two masked individuals get up at the front of the coach and cross into the one ahead, but did nothing - it aroused his suspicion, but did not demand his action.)

[Rook]

Alistair & Cornelia - Second Coach, First Class

The infamous duo entered the second coach without incident. A few heads turned to look at the new arrivals, and were soon joined by more. The gentlemen and ladies looked at them oddly, and some, a little apprehensively. Alistair would have fit right in were it not for his mask. Even his scruffy appearance might have allowed him to pass for a young gentleman-in-training. But Cornelia stood out like a sore thumb which held a sign reading, "I DESERVE YOUR SUSPICION".

The conductor was not present in this coach, so there was no one to confront them should they act on their plan. However, they couldn't be quite certain if anyone else in the coach was armed...

The portly gentleman was one of the few who did not pay any mind to the two outlaws, so absorbed in conversation was he. However, Alistair and Cornelia were both able to see Roger hide his coinpurse.

Roger - Second Coach, First Class

"Ho ho!" the man applauded, "You are a quick wit indeed, Mister... Forgive my horrible manners, we have not yet been introduced. I am Rupert Lowe of Brunner Industries, and you are...?

Holman - Third Coach, Economy Class

There were no attendants around to answer Holman's questions. Sitting to his left was a lightly snoring man, and there were quite a few workers packed into the third coach, but he would have to move further into the train to speak with the conductor, who would either be in the second or first coach, or possibly the locomotive itself.

Victoria - Third Coach, Economy Class

Victoria's book was emblazoned with the dramatic title, "A TREATISE ON DRAGONS, THE EPITOME OF MAGICAL DISASTER, BY DOCTOR E. FITZGERALD".

CHAPTER I, IN PURSUIT OF DRAGONS:

I, Doctor Edmund Fitzgerald, have devoted my life to study of these physical manifestations of magic, these winged reptilian beasts of death and destruction, and the most beautiful creatures on Enoch: dragons.

My fascination with the subject began during my childhood in the frozen tundra of Burke. It was here that I grew up in the shadow of the Fringe mountain range. Northern Hyam is known for its extraordinarily high concentration of dragons, and I spent my life in fear of them. It was until I saw one up close, as it carried off a grey wolf in its powerful jaws, that I lost my fear of them. My previous fear was replaced by a feverish thirst for knowledge.

I begged my parents to send me to a college, any college. I was rapidly approaching the 13th anniversary of my entrance into this world, and at this point, I could even read. My father was a poor iron miner, and my mother was the weary caretaker of him, my five siblings, and myself. Of course, they refused my request. But I would not die of mental dehydration! I would not starve from a shortage of knowledge! I refused to be crushed under the burden of my own ignorance and that of my fellow townspeople.

I spent my days pestering the elders of my town for all their aging brains could recollect of dragonlore. I scrounged up coin to buy the previously worthless books from traveling merchants, much to the bewilderment of my parents and the chagrin of my unenlightened friends. As I grew into adulthood, I set out from home, for there was nothing for me there. My friends had all either died of the pox, died of wolves, or otherwise abandoned me as I continued my studies. In fact, this town is of such little importance to me now that I have neglected to include its name. This was an oversight, but I shall not treat it as such, for it speaks to my true devotion to the scholarly cause.

I made my way to the Spire, where I immediately applied for entrance into the Royal Lauxan Academy. I was rejected after failing the entrance exam, and was devastated. Even if I had managed to pass it, I would not have had the funds to study there. However, my fortune would soon change. I was discovered by a former professor of the Academy, Andrew Sullivan, who had retired on account of his old age. He taught me to the best of his ability, which was considerable, and even recommenced me to a friend, securing a job for me in a local bank. He recognized my genius, my spark of intellect, and to that end, he helped to fund my education in the Academy.

I graduated from the Academy with full honors, maintaining a high grade point average, being active in many influential student societies and study groups, and published several papers on my observations of dragons, and my theories as to their origination (see Chapter 2, The Cause and Effects of the Awakening").

Now, I do not write all this to simply brag about my many substantial and significant accomplishments, rather, I have presented all of this information to you in the hopes that you will recognize my qualifications and thus, gain more from my book through the absence of doubt.

END OF CHAPTER I

[Kerr]

Like the rest of the passengers in the coach, Monad noticed the strange duo head forward into the first class section and the thuds from the roof. He remained where he was and but let his eyes wander a little to see who was sitting nearby and trying to get more of a sense of what was going on.

Hidden:

If anyone wants to sitting near my character, go ahead. I was going to have Monad be sitting directly behind Rin and Mauser but thought that might be imposing.

[Unionhack]

With all the eyes on him, Alistair began to speak.

"My dearest ladies and gentlemen, I do hope you're all enjoying your ride this evening. My name is Orpheus, and I will be taking care of you this morning. The late arrival may have served to dampen spirits and sour faces, but I look upon all of you know and I see that your fine jewels and silks are not the only thing beaming here. No, I look upon smiles bright enough to put a clear night's moon to shame."

Alistair then walked forward a bit, pretending to examine his hand to keep up the gentlemanly guise. "I fear, however, that you might not like my proposition on this fine morning. You see, my companion here has rigged the train with a number of choice... 'firecrackers'." he lied, hoping to use the clicks they heard earlier to their advantage. "They are primed and we hold the key to detonating them. Now, we can be convinced not to do such a thing; again, I'd hate to mar those lovely smiles. All I ask is that you each make with a bit of an... 'offering'. You all have your livings, and we have ours."

He then brandished one of his pistols and held it upwards with a crooked arm, as to simply announce its presence. "Don't mind the sidearm, good lords and ladies; I assure you that it is as much for your protection as it is mine. Now, which of you will be making the first donation towards the Orpheus-feeds-the-poor fund? Do I see a volunteer?"

[The-Shadow-One]

Morgan sighed a bit loudly. He seemed to have sat down near Monrad, the rustle of paper stopping if only to listen for the 4 bumps from the roof of the train. "Must've been.. something.. hope it isn't some diabolic evil to come swallow us for our sins.." He paused a moment, did he say that out loud, he must've. Chuckling lightly if to play that off as a joke, albeit a rather ill conceived one he continued looking through his documents, searching for the Frank that was talking, just seeming busy until his stop you know?

[Baloth-Kul]

The Wildfyre slid an inch of the cane sword free of its sheath, allowing all who paid attention to appreciate the glint of steel. If the threat of explosives did not suffice, then a more clear threat may help.

[BetaB17]

Rin & Mausier

In no rush, the duo boarded the third coach, being one of the last tp board. Mausier didn't pay much heed to others or even the notched noises, and Rin merely clung to his back with glee. Once inside, they found an adequate seat, one of the few not taken or accounted for.

As if on queue, the young runt hopped down to the floor, going off to inspect their seat. A couple of pats on the cushions, a few jabs with a finger, a weary eye on it all, then a thumbs up to her guardian "All clear!! I giv'' it thee Rin'y seal of approval!" She said with a cheerful grin. Mausier, seemingly not amused, or at least not showing it, simply took his seat as directed by Rin.

Rin on the other-hand took her seat closest to the window, or 'Scenic Supreme Guarantee' as she would say. With a rather loud plop, she rested her bottom on the cushion, swinging her feet from where they hanged. In, as if in no delay, she quickly shifted her position, far more curious than he partner about their fellow passengers "I wond'r where tha one with te mask went? She look'd a lil odd, wouldn't ya say? Maus'y?" It was then, while looking behind the duo into the very next bench that she spotted Monad. She couldn't help but stare, peering over the edge with below her nose hidden. "Speakin of odd.."

:

It wouldnt have been imposing at all if you had done that

I mean, its not like you're being a creep or anything, right? Right??

[Kerr]

Monad heard one of his fellow passengers suggest a monster lay above them. While he didn't think that was the explanation and from the man's chuckle it seemed he didn't either, it certainly sounded to him like someone or something was up there. As he looked around he inadvertently made eye contact with Rin who staring at him. He maintained eye contact with the child and nodded his head upward slightly as a form of greeting.

[BetaB17]

Rin couldn't help but mumble to herself, clearly not as cheery for a greeting. As if suspicious of this nodding man, the young mage slowly lowered herself, hidding more and more of her head behind the seat till nothing was in view.

'Wut's his bother?' the small devil thought to herself in private

[Aarah]

Roger - Second Coach

Roger turned to look at the portly man once again, who didn't seem to care about the newcomers to their carriage. Although distracted, he was about to introduce himself to Rupert Lowe, but was rudely interrupted by the masked man's announcement.

I knew it. I knew foul play was afoot! How dare they - how very dare they! First a late train and now this. Well they're jolly well not going to get my money! I'll be certain of that!

His eyes widened however, when he heard of the apparent explosives they had planted, and saw the pistol that the concealed man carried. He also spied the silver metal of the woman's cane sword; just a peep, but enough to know that there was a blade present.

I'm sure she is no match for me with a blade. He thought, as he clutched his own cane tightly - the black wood hiding its own sharp surprise.
But that gun...that gun looks tricky: that is, if he plans to actually use it. Is it just for show? And what of these 'firecrackers'?

Roger's eyes fleeted between the two would-be robbers, before his gaze focused on the one with the pistol.
Let's see if you're all talk, or if you actually have the gall to use that coward's weapon...
He attempted to use his powers of psychomancy to see just how much of a threat this pair was.

[Rook]

Second Coach

The passengers were left shocked and dumbstruck by Alistair's introduction. They had heard rumors of a criminal by the name of "Orpheus", but they had dismissed him as a nonentity. Now that they were face to face, they weren't sure how to respond, though the reveal of their weapons was met with gasps, as was the 'revelation' of the planted firecrackers. One woman appeared to faint into the arms of her husband, though she kept one eye half-open. Eventually, an elderly gentleman slowly rose from his seat, steadied himself, and walked unsteadily over to Alistair.

"Take it, you villain." he said, handing over a small coinpurse, "And may it bring you naught in the afterlife!"

Roger penetrated Alistair's mind with a little difficulty. He was able to detect the criminal's general distaste for the upper-class, but more importantly, he learned that the 'firecrackers' were completely fictional. However, he was not able to penetrate Cornelia's mind, and she would be able to detect the attempted intrusion, though she did not know from whence it came.

The portly gentleman leaned across to Roger, whispering furtively, "My dear fellow, I do believe they intend to rob us!"

[Baloth-Kul]

Cornelia's anger flared as someone attempted to probe her mind. Her left hand still grasping her mostly-sheathed cane sword, she drew her firebomb from a pouch. "One among you seeks to know the unknown. Know this; this firecracker, here, can burn hot enough to reduce you good ladies and gentlemen to ash. You, who would pierce my mind--step forward, and pay for your mistake with coin, lest others pay with their lives."

She looked towards the portly gentleman, her ire growing, as she examined faces for any foolish intent.

[Unionhack]

"Believe me sir, good folks will eat tonight because of your generous donation." Alistair spoke to the gnetleman who handed him the coinpurse. He made sure to keep his gun trained firmly on the roof and not on the people inside the coach, unless someone made a move of course.

When Cornelia spoke of the probing, Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Now now, we can't have that... I assure you all that while I am quite docile, my friend here isn't. Let's not make this difficult, my good lords and ladies. I ask for your coin, not your opulent estates."

[Aarah]

Ah ha. I thought as much. Roger thought, upon discovering from Alistair's mind that the 'firecrackers' were nothing but a mere ploy to scare the passengers.

The woman, however, he could glean no information from. It seemed that she was blocking his efforts - a fellow in psychomancy no doubt.

The portly man's comment received a exasperated sneer from Roger's face. Removing his handkerchief from his nose and mouth, he replied, "Yes, I had gathered as much."

Unfortunately, Roger's mental intrusion did not go unnoticed by the female criminal, and it angered her enough to make her brandish a devilish looking firebomb.
Roger believed Alistair's words; the masked man probably wouldn't use his gun unless absolutely necessary, but the woman...the woman had a spark that made her future actions completely unpredictable for Mr Spenceworth, a fact that unnerved him.

Despite her threats, he had no intention of stepping forward to confess, nor hand over his coin. His face wore a worried expression, akin to the other passengers - nothing noteworthy, and he remained firmly planted in his seat.

[Rook]

The Second Coach

In the second coach, Cornelia's words were met with a large amount of frightened whispering, "mage" and "money" being the chief subjects of their hurried talk. There was much bustling about as the gentleman and ladies began to collect payment for Alistair's toll.

"Chin up, my man. No need to sneer." the portly gentleman said calmly, drawing a piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to Roger, "Now, you really must come visit sometime. My address is on there, and I won't take no for an answer." He slowly reached into the inside of his tailcoat, and discreetly drew out a revolver. He held the gun underneath his free arm, hiding it from the view of the two hijackers who he was currently trying to aim at. But just as his finger reached for the trigger, the train stopped with a tremendous bump, and everyone was thrown forward in their seats. The revolver flew out of his grasp and skidded across the floor.

Everyone - The Train

Everyone, including those in the second and third coaches, was thrown forward as the train was suddenly halted in its tracks, some unfortunate faces smacking into the seats in front of them or their neighbor's heads. Outside of the train, through the windows, the passengers could see a brilliant flash of purple light. This hung in the air for a few short moments before a tremendous BOOM erupted. The train was flipped over on its side, sending bags and people flying, banging off the walls and smacking their heads against the windows. One man flew out of a broken window, screaming in terror as he fell to his likely death. More booms resounded on the outside of the train, windows shattering, people falling to the ground, and an explosion rocked the second coach as the first was torn apart by a blast of... magic.

The train fell from the railway, which had been running over a tall bridge, but before it hit the ground, a final blast of energy shattered the second and third coaches, nearly destroying them entirely. Alistair, Cornelia, Holman, Roger, Morgan, Monad, Mausier, Rin, and Victoria were thrown clear from the wreckage, plowing into the ground some distance away from the train. They, and any others who had survived the crash, were rendered unconscious from the impact.

Had the conductor survived the crash, he would likely have apologized to the survivors for the unscheduled stop.

***

Rin stirred to find herself surrounded by flaming wreckage and the bodies of her fellow passengers, all of whom were either unconscious or dead. Mausier had been flung away from her in the crash, and she couldn't see him through the haze of smoke. However, through the smoke, she could see four figures approaching her. As they came closer, she could see their leader, a tall man who was garbed in a torn, light grey Inquisition greatcoat and a strange iron mask. A hood was pulled over his head. Despite the long sleeves of his coat, Rin saw that both of his arms were made entirely of iron. As he walked, she saw that his legs did not move normally, likely denoting that they were iron as well. Implanted on the backs of both of his hands were two conduit crystals, whose color shifted almost constantly.

He was flanked by three compatriots. On his right was a young man wearing a brown leather hood, a matching leather tailcoat, and a large pair of bronze goggles. He wore a strange gauntlet with some sort of miniature crossbow attached to it, and at his waist were strapped many vials and syringes. He carried a cane in his right hand, and a pair of revolvers were strapped around his chest.

On the tall man's left was a woman who had chalk white skin and long, messy white hair, and her eyes were an icy blue. She was obviously Attolian. She wore no mask, but instead, she had drawn black paint over her face, hiding most of her recognizable facial features. She seemed to carry no visible weaponry.

Finally, coming up behind the group, was a skinny and grey-haired man. A scarf was wrapped around the bottom of his face, covering his mouth, and a flat cap was perched on his head. His clothing was shabby and not unlike that of any ordinary worker, though his small spectacles had golden frames. He was lightly armed with a revolver at his hip and a long, thin knife in his hand. Strapped to his belt were a multitude of strange devices, none of which Rin could recognize save a "basic" hand grenade.

These four were speaking to each other, though Rin was not able to hear what they were saying over the blare of an approaching horse-drawn fire engine. It appeared as if the young man was concerned about the extent of the destruction, and the others were reassuring or lecturing him. However, the skinny man glanced over and noticed Rin. He alerted his friends to her presence and strode over.

"She's so little..." the young man remarked sadly.

"And cute, but hurry up and get it over with. No loose ends." the Attolian woman said, clearly unconcerned.

"This will only hurt for a moment, dearie." the skinny man whispered, leaning over her with knife in hand, repeating to himself quietly, "No loose ends..."

As he began to plunge the knife down towards her head, his movement was suddenly stopped in midair, the knife an inch away from Rin's forehead. The knife flew out of his hands and was caught by the Masked Man.

When the skinny man turned on him for answers, the Masked Man grasped his shoulders and said in a distorted voice, "The smoke rises and waters the eyes of our oppressors. We're finished here. No more deaths are necessary than those already accomplished."

He knelt down in front of Rin and closed her eyes with his iron fingers. This final gesture sent her over the edge, and she fell into a deep and dark sleep...

***

When Alistair, Cornelia, Holman, Morgan, Monad, Mausier, Rin, Roger, and Victoria awoke, they found themselves lying in strange beds in an unknown room. The room was plain and undecorated, save for the beds and two wooden chairs in the middle of the room. There were no windows, and only a single door. Their weapons, money, and other items were missing, including Alistair and Cornelia's masks. They had apparently been treated for their burns and other injuries, as some of them had been bandaged up. Their bodies were bruised, some of them badly, and they might have trouble moving for a bit, but they were alive.

Sitting in the aforementioned chairs were a pair of almost identical individuals. They shared the same reddish-brown hair, the same light and freckled complexions, the same green eyes, the same youthful appearances, and all other sorts of similarities which could be detected by a careful eye. However, one was male, and one was female. They looked quite bored, tossing a baseball to each other repetitively. They seemed not to have noticed the awakening of the survivors. Leaning against both of their chairs were longswords, and they each carried a revolver at their side. They both wore beige vests, white shirts, and brown pants with no other adornment.

[The SheoDovah]

Victoria Vario's unexpected detour

Victoria loved dragons and had a small desire to raise one from eggs but she knew that was just asking for trouble along with screaming that she is a mage.Still, she would seldom dream of owning a small dragon as a companion. What majestic creatures they were in her mind. Without warning, the train gave a violent jolt and sent her face flying forward! It was fortunate that she was reading a book at that time thus managed to have half of the impact absorbed by the item. "What th..." A purple light appeared then nothing.


She came to in an empty room and felt like she was on fire! She let out a long groan of pain as she slowly sat up and discovered that her blade was missing. ALong with her books and backpack. She spotted two indivuals with longswords and a firearm. She knew that it couldn't be good and spotted others waking up. She knew that she could use her magic to overpower them but the risk of a gunshot going off was a bit high and in her current state, she doubted that she could eliminate them without killing them.

[Baloth-Kul]

Miss Cogburn found her lips curling into a snarl, but she had no time for anger. Given that one of the injured party was already conscious and groaning, she immediately laid her head back down, let her expression mellow, and closed her eyes. She wasn't going to get the jump on anyone, if they knew she was awake and watchful.

[Unionhack]

Alistair couldn't help but jolt awake when he came to. His first instinctive reaction was to bring a hand to his face.

No mask... Odd.

He then observed the two individuals on in the chairs. They couldn't be hostiles, he thought; they'd be dead if they were. So, he decided to do what he did best; talk to them and see if he could glean any information on where they were.

"Well..." He mumbled, rising up to a sitting position. "That's one way to disembark. Pardon me friends; I wouldn't suppose you are the ones responsible for all the treatment, hm?"

[Aarah]

Roger awoke in the strange room.
The first thing he noticed was the blinding headache that he had.
His hand came up to his forehead to try and ease the pain.

"Oh, my head." Were the first words he uttered.

Without raising from his bed, he slowly turned his head to look to his right. It was then that he recalled what had happened on the train; the hold-up, a flash, a crash, and now here he was.

I must be in the hospital, and yet, this doesn't look like a hospital. Perhaps it is what passes for a recovery room in the Steel District.
He attempted to sit up, his head pounding uncomfortably.